


For the Love of the Game

by surlybobbies



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sports, Athlete Castiel (Supernatural), Athlete Dean Winchester, Football | Soccer, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:29:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surlybobbies/pseuds/surlybobbies
Summary: “A tense moment on the field between good friends.  Novak has taken Dean Winchester’s legs out from under him - did he get the ball?  What do you think, Joe?  Yellow card?”“Looks like he just about got the ball to me.  Fair challenge.  Though judging by his reaction, it looks like Winchester doesn’t agree."(Dean and Cas over the course of three years as players of opposing soccer teams.)
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 20
Kudos: 328





	For the Love of the Game

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this early this morning (around 1AM) while I was watching a soccer game on TV. Keep in mind that while this is supposedly set in the US, the language the commentators use will sometimes skew toward the English used on the other side of the pond, as that's the soccer I typically watch. Let's just pretend our commentators are British. :)

_“Of course, Winchester and Novak have known each other since they were kids. Best friends, these two, off the pitch. On the pitch, however, as I’m sure we’ll see today, is a different story.”_

The loss is a difficult one to take; it means that Cas and his team are now on the bottom half of the league table, a position they haven’t been in for well over a decade. 

After the final whistle, Dean jogs to Cas, whose hands are clutching at his hair in disbelief. Dean puts his hands around Cas’s face, forcing Cas to look at him. “You okay?”

Cas closes his eyes and grits his teeth. He’s probably thinking about the goal Dean had scored just 10 minutes before the final whistle, and how he’d been unable to prevent it. “I will be.”

Dean sighs and pulls Cas in for a rough hug. “I’ll tell mom you’re coming over this weekend.”

“How long is she in town?” 

“Just a week,” Dean says. “She’ll want to see you.”

Cas shoves him away and scrubs his face with both hands. “Just let me know.”

++

_“Apparently they stay at each other’s bachelor pads over holidays.”_

It’s been coming for years, but when Cas pulls Dean in for a kiss on Christmas, it’s still a surprise. Dean takes a few moments to fully register what’s happening, that Cas is really _finally_ kissing him, but once it sinks in, he is most definitely on board with the development, and he pushes Cas against the wall and starts to thoroughly enjoy himself.

Eventually Cas pulls away, licking his lips. “This is unwise,” he says breathlessly.

Dean’s dizzy with Cas’s touch. He touches Cas’s face because he can’t stand not touching him. “You started it,” he says, all he can think of to say.

Cas frowns a little bit, but his nostrils flare with how hard he’s breathing. “How I got here, kissing an absolute idiot, I have no idea.”

“You’ve also got a hand up my shirt,” Dean supplies unhelpfully, “if you wanted to get around to removing that.”

Cas arches an eyebrow, and Dean likes it. “Do you want me to remove it?” Cas asks, leaning in again, dragging his hand down to Dean’s waistband at an agonizingly slow pace.

Dean’s hopeless - absolutely done for. “Definitely not.”

“Good,” Cas growls, and Dean likes that a lot.

++

_“Their rivalry seems to fuel their friendship - or is it the other way around?”_

“Just to be clear, this doesn’t mean I’m going to take it easy on you this Saturday,”

Dean’s lounging, one hand behind his head, watching the progress of Cas’s lips down his chest with lidded eyes. “Wouldn’t love you if you did.”

There’s a long pause. Cas lifts his eyes to watch Dean’s expression, but it doesn’t waver. The only sign of nerves is in the way his throat moves. Cas acknowledges the word with a small smile and a lingering kiss to the center of Dean’s chest. Later, he’ll murmur the word over and over and over into Dean’s hair, his hands on Dean’s ass, encouraging him, and Dean will swell and break with it.

++

_“A tense moment between good friends. Novak has taken Dean Winchester’s legs out from under him - did he get the ball? What do you think, Joe? Yellow card?”_

_“Looks like he just about got the ball to me. Fair challenge. Though it looks like Winchester doesn’t seem to agree.”_

“Could have broken my leg, Cas,” Dean spits.

Cas is adjusting his shin pads. He looks up at Dean. “Hardly - it was a fair challenge.”

Dean gets up right in his face when Cas straightens. Cas has seen this face in the throes of pleasure and he knows he’ll see it again; he lifts his chin and smirks, knowing how much Dean will hate it. 

“Also, ref begs to differ,” Cas says, winking. “No foul.”

“Jesus, you’re a cocky bastard.”

“And you’re a shit striker.”

“You shouldn’t even be on the field with a challenge like that.”

Cas is getting back into position, walking backwards so he can throw one last remark at Dean: “You shouldn’t even be on the field with skills like that.”

Dean’s face turns red. “What’d you just say?”

In the end the ref has to separate them; no cards are shown, but neither of them talks to the other for two weeks.

It goes without saying that the eventual make-up sex is fantastic.

++

_“It’s Novak’s last game for the Angels - he’ll be officially retired at the end of these 90 minutes, aged 35. Fitting that his greatest rival and friend should be on the pitch with him, albeit playing for the opposition.”_

Cas is subbed at 87 minutes for his last ovation from the home crowd. They adore him as he adores them, and Dean knows this last walk off the field has got to be an emotionally harrowing moment for Cas.

Dean hopes his fans won’t give him too much shit for what he does next: he pulls Cas in for a rough hug as Cas walks to the touchline to be subbed. He doesn’t look Cas in the eye, and shoves him away before either of them do something stupid like cry.

++

_“Back for the second half of the first game of the season, and Dean Winchester’s 37th minute goal is the only thing separating the two sides._

_As most know, Winchester announced over the break that he and his best friend and former Angels player Cas Novak have been dating. There’s been quite a bit of backlash, mostly from fans who think their relationship has swayed their performances over the years, but both Winchester’s manager and Novak’s former manager have laughed off that particular suggestion. What do you think, Greg?”_

_“No, they’ve both been consummate professionals, haven’t they, over the years? Obviously good friends - well, we know why now - but it never stopped either of them from giving it their all on the pitch.”_

_“They both loved the game too much to let anything affect it.”_

It’s not fun, being the only player in the league out of the closet. His teammates don’t treat him any differently, but Dean sometimes feels like he’s slowly being frozen out.

“It’s because you didn’t say anything to us.”

“What the hell was I supposed to say, Benny? ‘ _I’m fucking a guy, and it’s Cas Novak’?”_

Benny sighs. “I don’t know, Dean. They just want to know their captain’s being honest with them. Sleeping with the opposition is pretty shady, alright?”

Dean hangs his head. He understands. He’s still pissed, still frustrated, but he makes up his mind. He slams his locker to get everyone’s attention. “Just figured you all would want to know,” he says loudly, a little angrily, “I’m asking Cas to marry me tonight.”

Stunned silence. Dean stares them all down, daring any of them to say anything. If he has to knock someone out for talking shit about Cas, he swears he’ll do it and damn the consequences.

But nothing happens. Ash grins, scratching his neck. “We’re invited to the wedding, right?”

The laughter that follows breaks the ice. Dean tries and fails to stop himself from crying when they all come forward to congratulate him.

++

_“Dean Winchester made history by marrying Cas Novak over the break. It’s a great moment in sport, but he’s opened up in a recent interview regarding the homophobic abuse he and his husband have received.”_

_“A shame that. The sport needs to do more to support their LGBTQ+ players.”_

_“Agreed. But despite all that, Winchester says he’s proud to lead the way for others to come out in his wake. Plus, his husband is here to watch his first game of the season, so that must make up for it somewhat.”_

_“He’s probably not happy to see Novak in Angel colors, though!”_

_“The rivalry lives on!”_

_“Who wants to bet that it’ll be a tense atmosphere in the Novak-Winchester home tonight?”_

Cas is solemn as he greets Dean at the door of their home, but Dean scowls at him anyway. “Don’t think I didn’t see you cheering when they scored.”

Cas looks a little abashed. “They’re my friends, Dean.”

“I’m your husband.”

Cas hides his smile in Dean’s neck. “And I love you.” He wraps his arms around Dean so he can’t wriggle away. “But I also love my team. My fans would have rioted if I’d shown up in your jersey.”

Dean doesn’t bother arguing. He played for the full 90, and the emotional toll of the loss is just now sinking in. “I’m ready to go to bed,” he says, his voice raw.

“Alright,” Cas says, kissing Dean on the cheek. “I’ll be there soon.”

Dean is half asleep when Cas walks in wearing Dean’s jersey and a pair of sweatpants - then Dean’s suddenly wide-awake and half-hard.

Cas gets under the covers and leans over Dean, smelling like shampoo and toothpaste. “Good night,” he says cheerfully.

Dean stares at his husband, marveling at the audacity. Finally, he says, “You’re such a jackass,” but diminishes the effect by pulling Cas in roughly by the front of the shirt and kissing him, much to Cas’s delight.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come follow me on Tumblr](https://surlybobbies.tumblr.com), as despite having written over 50 fic for the fandom, I'm still feeling a little lonely over there...


End file.
